An Introduction to the Samsung SmartCam HD Plus

April 13, 2016

Upon the release of Samsung's latest IP Camera, the SmartCam HD Plus (SNH-V6414), we were excited to test this camera out. We recently received these cameras and have had a chance to test them and play around with the features.
[caption id="attachment_3397" align="aligncenter" width="578"] Samsung SmartCam HD Plus SNH-6414BMR (Refurbished)[/caption]
If you're somewhat familiar to the SmartCam products, then you'll quickly be able to notice that the design of this camera is extremely different from previous models. First and foremost, the color of this camera is black while previous SmartCams had all been white. This alone makes the camera more discreet in addition to the design of this new model. As noted by many who tested this camera, the design strikingly resembles that of the NestCam.
Below is an introduction to the SmartCam HD Plus and a list of features that come with the Camera:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XQTnW4F94Y&w=560&h=315]

1080p Full HD Video Quality

Two-Way Talk

Advanced Motion & Audio Detection

Motion Zone Select

Night Vision up to 32ft.

Ultra-Wide 130° Angle Lens

16GB microSD card included - 128GB capacity storage

Now onto the more in depth instructions on using this camera:
Step 1: Download the SmartCam App and set-up your account
This step is pretty self-explanatory, as you just go into the Google play store or the Apple App store and type in "Samsung SmartCam". After downloading it and opening up the app you will either make a new account or sign in with an existing account. Upon creating an account you simply begin to register your camera (as shown below)
Step 2: Once you're connected, change the resolution from low to high
This step is very important especially if you're not all too familiar with Samsung SmartCams. Click Video Profile under the Setup menu and change to high resolution. When I first tested out my very first SmartCam, I was initially disappointed with the quality without realizing that it automatically connects with low resolution causing the image to look grainy and unclear. So before freaking out simply change the resolution so that every time you connect to your camera it automatically shows your image in high resolution rather than low. I would say that this is one of the more important things to note with any of the SmartCams since we do have a good amount of customers who complain to us that something is wrong with their image quality, when it's really a matter of changing the settings.
[caption id="attachment_3453" align="aligncenter" width="247"] Change Video Profile from Low Resolution to High[/caption]
Below is an example of the image quality that comes with the Samsung HD Plus. As you can see below the picture quality is very clear (even in night vision mode!)
[caption id="attachment_3458" align="aligncenter" width="533"] Picture taken from the SmartCam HD Plus (1080p quality)[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_3464" align="aligncenter" width="542"] Night vision mode for SmartCam HD Plus[/caption]
Step 3: Place the camera in desired location and start testing out the features!
Now where you decide to place your camera entirely depends on what you're using it for and how discreet you want to be. The good thing about this model is that the camera is able to detach from the body simply by twisting the it to the left
[caption id="attachment_3473" align="aligncenter" width="522"] Detachable camera that allows for more functionality[/caption]
So in terms of mounting the camera you can use the screws and wall anchors that come with this model or you can be a little more creative and place just the head of the camera in a spot that won't be as easy to see.
Once you set up your camera in your desired location you can now explore the features! If you choose to turn on motion or audio detection notification, you will get notifications sent to your phone when an event is recognized. You can either select up to 3 areas where you will be notified when there is motion detected or you can simply be notified when there is any movement in the camera's field of view.
[caption id="attachment_3500" align="aligncenter" width="505"] Select up to 3 areas for motion detection notification[/caption]
An important feature that I found is to turn on continuous recording so that when there is an event captured, that footage will be saved onto your microSD card.
[caption id="attachment_3495" align="aligncenter" width="518"] Continuous Recording Option for Samsung SmartCam HD Plus[/caption]
There are more features to explore with the Samsung HD Plus, but the remaining are self-explanatory. The above mentioned are the ones that I thought were most useful before diving in and getting started with the camera itself.
So my overall impression of this IP Camera: I really enjoyed the fact that Samsung decided to change up the design of their SmartCams. The black color and the material of this camera doesn't make it feel as cheap as some of the previous SmartCams did. Additionally, the fact that I could take off the camera was a bonus for me because that just meant more functionality in terms of where I was going to place my camera. I had no complaints in terms of the picture quality (1080p) and the motion detection seemed to work far better than it did on previous SmartCams.
My only complaints would be that there would be times where it would lose connectivity and the SmartCam App could definitely use some improvement. Overall though it definitely is an upgrade from the Samsung SmartCam Pro (shown below) and comes with a 16GB memory card with a 128GB storage capacity. If you're not a fan of the bulky white camera and are looking for something more discreet then I don't think that the SmartCam HD Plus is a bad option. I'll provide the buy button below for anyone that may be interested:
As always, please let us know if you have any questions and we will more than willing to assist you!
Best regards,
Soltech Security